Car washing the Gladiator and transfer case

[joeym7]

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01M72EB75/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=Tyche-4194-im-20&th=1

Thanks!

Sponsored

 

[futzin']

The Car Wash Police LOVE to show up in car wash threads where 'whether or not' is not the topic. Every. Damn. Time. As sure as the sun rising in the East . . .

 

[Levi.Butler]

Thanks for all the comments folks, who would have thought washing our Beloved Gladiators would invoke so much passions...

The car wash I use is brushless, but the main reason I would use a car wash vs doing it myself is the undercarriage. Don't have a pressure washer, but we have some very-good water pressure where I live and with a good nozzle with a "jet" option on it it is fairly powerful (relatively), so I think it will work at home.

Are there any areas in the undercarriage that I should pay special attention to cleaning? Alternatively, any areas that I would not want to hit with a "jet" stream?

I never had to clean the undercarriage of my STS lol, so this is new to me.

Thanks in Advance

I've come to notice a pattern around here... no matter the topic. @ShadowsPapa will absolutely interject his pompous opinions and then a thread will be derailed by the BS that follows.

Facts are, regardless of @ShadowsPapa 's opinions, these things are Jeeps, not shitbox show cars.

Don't stress it, if you have to use a 'touch' carwash every once in a while, you have two options, paint correction from time to time or actually use your rig and recognize that it's got pinstrips and still looks decent from 10 feet away (which is good enough for a rig that get's used).

A hose in the driveway is good enough to rinse your undercarriage, especially after a beach run. If it's heavy mud, you're going to have a hell of a mess to clean up in the driveway.

Most importantly, these things ARE NOT mud boggers. Stay out of deep mud if it's at all possible, your axle seals will thank you for it.

 

[ShadowsPapa]

I must have crappy touch washes by me. The 2 times I’ve used them I got scratches on my fenders and around my windshield. It’s basically a brick getting slapped with brushes and hanging towels lol. Self wash in the bay is all I do now. Since the weather seems to be getting better I’ll go back to bucket washing. I’ve got some pin stripes from a trail but I’d rather get those than pay to get scratched up in a car wash.

You have to try to find one with brushes and rags around here. They just demolished one of the older car washes in Altoona and are putting in a real modern touchless automatic wash system.

People can use whatever they wish, it's their vehicle, but for me - I've worked on and leaned over the fenders of enough vehicles over the years, I've seen the effects of the various types.
I've also done a lot of repairs and restoration on vehicles where the sand and dust doesn't get washed out of certain places causing rust down the road. So I guess, take your pick, do whatever suits you or makes you feel good.

The big advantage of the automatic washes - the undercarriage gets a really good soaking and washing out of the sand and crud. Few people get down on the ground and really wash that area out unless you buy one of those long spraying wands and take your time.
The disadvantage of automatic washes - no attention to detail and can't get to areas I can using the wand and doing it myself.
Pros and cons.
It's your truck.

My trucks last for years and miles and I get decent money when I trade my stuff in, even after using them like TRUCKS.

 

[joeym7]

I've come to notice a pattern around here... no matter the topic. @ShadowsPapa will absolutely interject his pompous opinions and then a thread will be derailed by the BS that follows.

Facts are, regardless of @ShadowsPapa 's opinions, these things are Jeeps, not shitbox show cars.

Don't stress it, if you have to use a 'touch' carwash every once in a while, you have two options, paint correction from time to time or actually use your rig and recognize that it's got pinstrips and still looks decent from 10 feet away (which is good enough for a rig that get's used).

A hose in the driveway is good enough to rinse your undercarriage, especially after a beach run. If it's heavy mud, you're going to have a hell of a mess to clean up in the driveway.

Most importantly, these things ARE NOT mud boggers. Stay out of deep mud if it's at all possible, your axle seals will thank you for it.

Thanks for your comments....

I had my second off road trip last Friday in a state park, there was mud in the large puddles, nothing dramatic, I doubt my undercarriage hit the water but I am not certain. But the overspray got around a good amount...That was followed by a lot of sand, sometimes a little deep on other roads.

I much rather drive in sand, but the road presented what it did, and I couldn't face myself in the mirror if I turned around because of a little mud.

I'm not a clean freak when it comes to vehicles, and I purchased this one to go out and use it off road. Love it all around!

For my first wash I'd like to do it myself - guess just sentimental reasons, hahaha. I don't have intrinsic fear of Car washes though ;-).

 

[WILDHOBO]

I've come to notice a pattern around here... no matter the topic. @ShadowsPapa will absolutely interject his pompous opinions and then a thread will be derailed by the BS that follows.

Facts are, regardless of @ShadowsPapa 's opinions, these things are Jeeps, not shitbox show cars.

Don't stress it, if you have to use a 'touch' carwash every once in a while, you have two options, paint correction from time to time or actually use your rig and recognize that it's got pinstrips and still looks decent from 10 feet away (which is good enough for a rig that get's used).

A hose in the driveway is good enough to rinse your undercarriage, especially after a beach run. If it's heavy mud, you're going to have a hell of a mess to clean up in the driveway.

Most importantly, these things ARE NOT mud boggers. Stay out of deep mud if it's at all possible, your axle seals will thank you for it.

Attacking @ShadowsPapa, who is a wealth of knowledge, simply makes so sense. And to say that touch car washes do nothing to rigs that are used is ridiculous. Mine had plenty of pin stripes. It also has off road lights, cross bars, a soft topper on the bed, a shorty whip antenna, a sunrider, expensive power steps (RSE), and a winch with a cover.

Many of the above items are on “rigs that are used”. All or the above, with the only exception probably being the RSE steps, will likely be damaged by a violent brush car wash. Many touch car washes prohibit all vehicles with aftermarket accessories for that very reason. No, most of these are not show cars, and they’re happiest running past twigs and branches. Because of how they’re setup, they’re more likely to sustain damage than any unmodified vehicle, show car or not.

 

[Nitroexpress]

Goodness, so much passion about a car wash....

Compared to the desert scrub-brush, a car wash isn’t even a blip on my radar when it comes to worrying about scratches. Around here they call it New Mexico pin-striping.

Agreed, never given a car wash this much thought. I'm sure our Texas pinstriping is similar.

I've found my three step process works well to remove most debris from the paint. Start with about two miles of Mesquite to knock off the big chunks, a mile of Huisache to get the hard to reach areas, then finish with the microfiber of brush, Creosote Bush (greasewood). The greasewood also has the added benefit of being an air freshener.

For the places I've been and things I've seen, every pinstripe was worth it.

 

[Geoarch]

The ones that touch the paint is what I’m talking about

Still, I've never seen scratches, at least at Mr CarWash where I go. I do keep it waxed with Maguire's Ultimate wax, and spray underneath during winters.

 

[Levi.Butler]

Attacking @ShadowsPapa, who is a wealth of knowledge, simply makes so sense. And to say that touch car washes do nothing to rigs that are used is ridiculous. Mine had plenty of pin stripes. It also has off road lights, cross bars, a soft topper on the bed, a shorty whip antenna, a sunrider, expensive power steps (RSE), and a winch with a cover.

Many of the above items are on “rigs that are used”. All or the above, with the only exception probably being the RSE steps, will likely be damaged by a violent brush car wash. Many touch car washes prohibit all vehicles with aftermarket accessories for that very reason. No, most of these are not show cars, and they’re happiest running past twigs and branches. Because of how they’re setup, they’re more likely to sustain damage than any unmodified vehicle, show car or not.

Even if he is 'a wealth of knowledge' (which is debatable... he certainly attempts to lead everyone to believe he is), he's a condiscending prick.

I think it's common knowledge what touch car washes CAN do to a vehicle, that being said, the risks are known and can be easily mitigated or determined to be not worthy of concern.

The point is still valid, it's a Jeep, not a show car. Don't take it too seriously, it's going to just make the real trail rash (if it's not a pavement princess) hurt even more when it inevitably happens. See below for example...

 

[Dryfly24]

Goodness, so much passion about a car wash....



Agreed, never given a car wash this much thought. I'm sure our Texas pinstriping is similar.

I've found my three step process works well to remove most debris from the paint. Start with about two miles of Mesquite to knock off the big chunks, a mile of Huisache to get the hard to reach areas, then finish with the microfiber of brush, Creosote Bush (greasewood). The greasewood also has the added benefit of being an air freshener.

For the places I've been and things I've seen, every pinstripe was worth it.

Very few things in nature can rival the pleasantness of the scent of creosote after a rainstorm.

Edited to add that for those of you who don’t know what it’s like, I‘m not kidding when I say that. It is a wonderful, fresh, clean natural smell. Not much in nature to rival it.

 

[Sponge60]

I have used a lawn sprinkler under vehicles with good results. I'm in a coastal area and get flooding (brackish water) occasionally. Our fire station bought an under carriage spray wand for power washers. Works very well. An electric pressure washer should work too. (I realize you said you didn't have a pressure washer) Here is the Amazon link for the wand.
AmazonSmile: GDHXW Multipurpose Undercarriage Cleaner Surface Cleaner for Pressure Washer 4000 PSI 16 Inch Underbody Car Wash Water Broom with 3 Pieces Extension Wand 5 High Pressure Nozzle : Patio, Lawn & Garden

Thanks for all the comments folks, who would have thought washing our Beloved Gladiators would invoke so much passions...

The car wash I use is brushless, but the main reason I would use a car wash vs doing it myself is the undercarriage. Don't have a pressure washer, but we have some very-good water pressure where I live and with a good nozzle with a "jet" option on it it is fairly powerful (relatively), so I think it will work at home.

Are there any areas in the undercarriage that I should pay special attention to cleaning? Alternatively, any areas that I would not want to hit with a "jet" stream?

I never had to clean the undercarriage of my STS lol, so this is new to me.

Thanks in Advance

 

[ShadowsPapa]

Attacking @ShadowsPapa, who is a wealth of knowledge, simply makes so sense. And to say that touch car washes do nothing to rigs that are used is ridiculous. Mine had plenty of pin stripes. It also has off road lights, cross bars, a soft topper on the bed, a shorty whip antenna, a sunrider, expensive power steps (RSE), and a winch with a cover.

Many of the above items are on “rigs that are used”. All or the above, with the only exception probably being the RSE steps, will likely be damaged by a violent brush car wash. Many touch car washes prohibit all vehicles with aftermarket accessories for that very reason. No, most of these are not show cars, and they’re happiest running past twigs and branches. Because of how they’re setup, they’re more likely to sustain damage than any unmodified vehicle, show car or not.

Ya sort of beat me to it, but my points to add are:
If no one cares, then why is there so much talk here about clay bars, ceramic coatings, etc.
Not everyone has bought a Jeep to take on the roughest of trails and get them banged up in the first year of ownership. Some want to keep the finish nice. It's not for show - it's because, well, some people like to keep their trucks looking decent (reference clay bars, buffers, waxes and ceramic coatings again)
There are as many reasons to own a Jeep vehicle, especially a Jeep truck, as there are Jeep owners. It would seem to me that if someone cares enough to level the paint and protect the heck out of it, some may care about how to keep it clean and rust-free (in Iowa, that's a huge issue)

I people didn't care or didn't want to know how to take care of the paint and finish or prevent rust - then no such topic would exist and no one would even mention washing them or leveling the paint and protecting it.
They don't have to be show trucks - but if you plan on keeping it, plan on keeping the crud out of the seams and joints and boxed in areas, and plan on keeping the paint decent. Once the outer UV protection is gone, count on the paint to follow.
If'n ya don't like it, then go a different direction. If you don't give a rip, then wash it however you wish at any car wash. Some may wish to earn their stripes and damage on a trail and not a car wash.

 

[Dryfly24]

Even if he is 'a wealth of knowledge' (which is debatable... he certainly attempts to lead everyone to believe he is), he's a condiscending prick.

I think it's common knowledge what touch car washes CAN do to a vehicle, that being said, the risks are known and can be easily mitigated or determined to be not worthy of concern.

The point is still valid, it's a Jeep, not a show car. Don't take it too seriously, it's going to just make the real trail rash (if it's not a pavement princess) hurt even more when it inevitably happens. See below for example...

That sucks. How’d that happen?

 

[WILDHOBO]

Even if he is 'a wealth of knowledge' (which is debatable... he certainly attempts to lead everyone to believe he is), he's a condiscending prick.

I think it's common knowledge what touch car washes CAN do to a vehicle, that being said, the risks are known and can be easily mitigated or determined to be not worthy of concern.

The point is still valid, it's a Jeep, not a show car. Don't take it too seriously, it's going to just make the real trail rash (if it's not a pavement princess) hurt even more when it inevitably happens. See below for example...

At least he posts in a polite way. Your post shows that you can’t. You may not like his opinions. That doesn’t give you the right to call him names. Childish at best.

 

[Levi.Butler]

That sucks. How’d that happen?

Just pushed it into a big chunk of granite... haha! It was all me.

Sponsored